Empty but opportunity

By Matthew Tessnear / mtessnear@shelbystar.com

Published: Monday, January 7, 2013 at 05:34 PM.

A slew of closed warehouse and factory buildings sit vacant near uptown Shelby.

Seemingly not good for much, that real estate attracted Hollywood to our back yard in 2011 when scenes for “The Hunger Games” were filmed there. That brought national exposure and more than a million dollars to the county.

Maybe that’s an extreme example, but there’s a long list of other voided properties that offer opportunities, too.

In Shelby, Dollar Tree closed its location in the Walmart shopping center last year. That closure will give new life to a small-version PetSmart store this year.

Some of The Star’s readers commented on a story announcing PetSmart’s plans last year, saying they don’t want the corporate store in town.

Many others voice frustration at the lack of retail options in the county.

Whether you like big-name stores or the old shop owned by your neighbor, it’s always exciting to see a national retailer choose to locate in your area.

Lately, many of you have asked us at The Star about plans for some of the buildings tagged with such notices, including the longtime Taco Bell in west Shelby, the former Shelby Walmart building (which I’ve heard a few rumors about) and the former Battleground Grill that will now be the new home of Cherokee Street Tavern in downtown Kings Mountain.

There are plenty of others, too. I recently walked along two blocks of Lafayette Street and noted five “for rent” signs in storefronts in that stretch alone.

It’s easy – and often accurate – for us to perceive such a dearth of vacant buildings as a sign of that coined “poor economy” that’s been slogging along for five years.

But in the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, I say we take a positive mindset and see the better side of the coin, too.

I believe all those old and empty buildings also represent opportunity for our communities.

A slew of closed warehouse and factory buildings sit vacant near uptown Shelby.

Seemingly not good for much, that real estate attracted Hollywood to our back yard in 2011 when scenes for “The Hunger Games” were filmed there. That brought national exposure and more than a million dollars to the county.

Maybe that’s an extreme example, but there’s a long list of other voided properties that offer opportunities, too.

In Shelby, Dollar Tree closed its location in the Walmart shopping center last year. That closure will give new life to a small-version PetSmart store this year.

Some of The Star’s readers commented on a story announcing PetSmart’s plans last year, saying they don’t want the corporate store in town.

Many others voice frustration at the lack of retail options in the county.

Whether you like big-name stores or the old shop owned by your neighbor, it’s always exciting to see a national retailer choose to locate in your area.

I hope the economy finally turns that long-awaited corner in 2013 and, if it does, we’ll be waiting with plenty of space and charm to offer.

We’re home, after all, to the national American Legion World Series and a coming museum named after native son Earl Scruggs. The museum itself is the transition of a previously vacant former county courthouse into what we hope will be a tourism treasure.

And when the people come for all those treasures, I hope they see the opportunities sitting all across our community. And I hope they believe in the age-old phrase that when one door closes, another opens.

Reach Matthew Tessnear at 704-669-3331.

See a story?

Have you noticed a new business, a closing business or just want an update on a vacant property? Email your tips and questions to Star city editor Matthew Tessnear at mtessnear@shelbystar.com or tweet @MatthewTessnear.

Reader responses

The Star asked its readers on Facebook what new businesses they would like to see occupy some of the empty properties in Cleveland County. Within minutes, more than a dozen responses were posted, with many readers saying Target is No. 1 on their wish list. Here's a sample of their response. To join the conversation, find The Shelby Star on Facebook and click "like."